Keith AshfieldMinister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway

Mr. Speaker, as stated many times, all language capabilities will be put in place so that there will be no danger for mariners. We will continue with the plan as we move forward. We look forward to the new operations.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Premier Dunderdale joined the call for full accountability of the Minister of National Defence for the errors his department made during the ill-fated search for 14-year-old Burton Winters. The minister's full reply to the premier was swift and direct: provincial authorities bear the bulk of the responsibility by waiting until hour 21 and hour 50 to request help and by not following the infamous callback protocol to maintain the priority after being denied.

My question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, the member for Labrador. Does he agree that it is the Dunderdale administration that bears full responsibility for the operational failure to find Burton Winters?

Mr. Speaker, to repeat, the death of Burton Winters is a tragedy and we all grieve over that. The province was the lead with respect to the ground search and rescue. Provincial assets were requested prior to the Canadian Forces being asked to assist.

I can also assure the House and the member opposite that following this tragic incident, the Canadian Forces reviewed its response protocols in relation to this matter. Those changes are being implemented.

Mr. Speaker, the province was apparently the lead. We know the very existence of the infamous callback protocol was exposed to be a fraud. Claims that bad weather grounded aircraft were also found to be false. The real problem? Every search and rescue asset in Goose Bay and Greenwood had broken down and the Cormorants in Gander were being held in reserve for someone more important than a 14-year-old Inuit boy. I do not know what is worse, the cover-up or the crime.

Mr. Speaker, the matter has been reviewed, changes have been made and protocols have been upgraded. Those changes will, hopefully, help us in the future.

At the end of the day, all we can do is our best. It was not too long ago that one of our search and rescue techs lost his life on one of these missions. There is no end of commitment on the part of our men and women to do the job for Canadians in distress and they do that day in and day out.

Kellie LeitchParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on economic growth and job creation.

We are also committed to making sure that individuals receive the benefits they are entitled to. That is why with EI processing, we have increased the number of full-time staff by 475. We have transferred over 120 individuals from part-time to full-time.

We are doing what we can to provide the best services possible to Canadians so that they get the benefits they are entitled to.

Mr. Speaker, time and time again, the government demonstrates its contempt for the unemployed.

The number of Canadians actually receiving employment insurance has declined. Only 39% of out-of-work Canadians are now getting EI. While the caseload has gone down, the wait times have gone up. The government's cuts to Service Canada have gutted its ability to provide these vital services to Canadians.

Will the minister protect Canadian families by guaranteeing that the budget will not erode services which are relied on by hard-hit Canadians?

Kellie LeitchParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour

Mr. Speaker, I will not speculate on the budget.

As I just mentioned, we have shifted the number of individuals who are available to do EI processing, increasing by over 500 individuals either from part-time to full-time or making sure we have new workers in EI processing.

We are going to do everything we can to make sure that the services Canadians deserve, they receive. Our Service Canada workers are doing a great job at it.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister arrived in South Korea to lead Canada's delegation to the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit.

With countries like Iran and North Korea that continue to obfuscate their nuclear activities and ignore their international obligations, it is clear that no nation is immune to the consequences of a nuclear terrorist attack.

Will the parliamentary secretary please tell the House how Canada has played a leadership role in the global efforts to fight and end nuclear terrorism?

Deepak ObhraiParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, our government believes that nuclear terrorism is one of the biggest threats to global security.

Sadly, no country is immune from the consequences of a nuclear terrorist attack. Canada has been a leader in the global effort to prevent nuclear terrorism. We are pleased to be delivering on one of our 2010 summit commitments.

We are working in places like Mexico and Vietnam to keep nuclear materials safe and out of the hands of terrorists. Through our global partnership program, Canada has invested more than $85 million for nuclear security work in Russia. It is vital that we continue to work together with our allies.

Mr. Speaker, we remain committed to the joint strike fighter program. A budget has been allocated. Of course, as we have stated many times, a contract has not as yet been signed for the replacement of the aircraft.

We will make sure that the air force has the aircraft necessary to do the job asked of it.

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Natural Resources insulted aboriginal communities, calling some of them “socially dysfunctional”. Remarkably, he then defended the insult as supportive of economic opportunities for aboriginal peoples. I invite the minister to extend an apology in this place now.

Could the minister also explain how killing the aboriginal skills and employment partnership program offers hope that his government's touted commitment that those very aboriginal communities most impacted by major industry will also benefit?

Mr. Speaker, our government has a jobs and economic prosperity agenda. That is the agenda we have been pursuing with our aboriginal peoples as well. We have demonstrated great progress. We continue with pilot programs across the country that deal with jobs and skills development. This is an important area. It is one of the outcomes of the crown-first nations gathering. We are making real progress.